50 Minutes of Drek, at a Fraction of the Size!

I am on vacation this week. Most people spend their vacations doing pleasurable things. I spent at least part of today sweating away on a treadmill while watching a truly awful episode of Doctor Who. The things I do in the name of better health!

Let's talk about that?

Crisis

The bad guys are thwarted. Barbara is cured from the deadly poisoning that I was too bored to mention yesterday. Everyone is returned to their normal size. Roll credits!

Look, it's not just me who hated this story. Originally it was written and filmed as a four-parter, but Donald Wilson, BBC Head of Serials at the time, hated it so much he ordered parts three and four edited down into a single episode. That was a remarkable thing to do then, as editing was neither easy nor inexpensive. But he preferred to spend the extra money on the edit, and throw away a full week of product, rather than air the story as originally written. The original edits no longer exist, although the DVD contains a complete restoration of those two episodes as originally scripted. The fourth episode was called The Urge to Live, which is ironic because that is exactly what I would lose if I tried to force myself to watch that reconstruction.

Having only one episode to watch, I spent the second half of my workout watching an interview with Verity Lambert, the original Producer of Doctor Who. If you are not familiar with her, she was a truly amazing woman -- and well ahead of her time. It is largely due to her imprint that the program is what it is. It was her first job as a Producer, which she took very seriously. She refused to just write it off as a silly children's show, and instead imbued it with many of the traits that make it so universally appealing. She went on to have a very distinguished career in television, working right up until the mid-2000's before she passed away in late 2007. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for the things she achieved, particularly as a professional career woman in the 60's.

So, anyway, the morning was not a complete waste. At least it ended on a positive note with a great filmed conversation with a remarkable woman.